Telescoping enclosure for information handling system component

ABSTRACT

A telescoping enclosure for information handling system components is disclosed. The telescoping information handling system component comprises a first enclosure and a second enclosure slidably coupled to the first enclosure. A service loop is configured to electrically couple a first sub-component located in the first enclosure to a second sub-component located in the second enclosure.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to information handlingsystems, and more particularly to a telescoping enclosure forinformation handling system components.

BACKGROUND

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individualsand businesses seek additional ways to process and store information.One option available to users is information handling systems. Aninformation handling system generally processes, compiles, stores,and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or otherpurposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of theinformation. Because technology and information handling needs andrequirements vary between different users or applications, informationhandling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled,how the information is handled, how much information is processed,stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the informationmay be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in informationhandling systems allow for information handling systems to be general orconfigured for a specific user or specific use such as financialtransaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage,or global communications. In addition, information handling systems mayinclude a variety of hardware and software components that may beconfigured to process, store, and communicate information and mayinclude one or more computer systems, data storage systems, andnetworking systems.

Information handling systems, such as rack computer servers or rackcomputer storage, for example, may be configured in any number of shapesand/or sizes depending in part on the needs of the system. Some rackcomputer storage applications may employ a “just a bunch of drives”(“JBOD”) architecture or storage arrays that include hard drives andprocessing engines. As with other types of information handling systems,information handling systems using JBOD style enclosures may beconfigured in different physical form factors. For example, storageenclosures may be configured in a short form factor for some basicapplications (e.g., JBODs) or with a long form factor for storage arrayapplications that require more processing power. Various informationhandling systems, including those for JBOD applications for example, mayinclude peripheral components, such as power supplies. Such peripheralcomponents may be electrically configured to operate with or in multipleinformation handling systems. However, peripheral components inrack-type applications, for example, may also need to be physicallyconfigured to correspond with the form factor of the particularinformation handing system in which or with which it operates.

SUMMARY

In accordance with teachings of the present disclosure, disadvantagesand problems associated with enclosures for information handling systemcomponents have been substantially reduced or eliminated. In oneembodiment of the present disclosure, a telescoping information handlingsystem component is disclosed. The telescoping information handlingsystem component comprises a first enclosure, a second enclosureslidably coupled to the first enclosure, and a service loop configuredto electrically couple a first sub-component located in the firstenclosure to a second sub-component located in the second enclosure.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an information handlingsystem is disclosed. The information handling system comprises a bay anda telescoping information handling system component electrically coupledto the bay. The telescoping information handling system component mayinclude a first enclosure, a second enclosure slidably coupled to thefirst enclosure, and a service loop configured to electrically couple afirst sub-component located in the first enclosure to a secondsub-component located in the second enclosure.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a telescoping powersupply is disclosed. The telescoping power supply comprises a firstenclosure, a second enclosure slidably coupled to the first enclosure, aconverter located in at least one of the first enclosure and the secondenclosure, and a service loop extending from the first enclosure to thesecond enclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments andadvantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an information handling system, in accordance withsome embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a telescoping power supply set to a shortened length,in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a telescoping power supply set to an elongatedlength, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a side cross-section view of a telescoping powersupply, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;and

FIG. 5 illustrates a side cross-section view of a telescoping powersupply, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Preferred embodiments and their advantages are best understood byreference to FIGS. 1-5, wherein like numbers are used to indicate likeand corresponding parts.

For the purposes of this disclosure, an information handling system mayinclude any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operableto compute, calculate, determine, classify, process, transmit, receive,retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, communicate, manifest,detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information,intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, or otherpurposes. For example, an information handling system may be a personalcomputer (e.g., desktop or laptop), tablet computer, mobile device(e.g., personal digital assistant (PDA) or smart phone), server (e.g.,blade server or rack server), a network storage device, or any othersuitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality,and price. The information handling system may include random accessmemory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a centralprocessing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/orother types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of theinformation handling system may include one or more disk drives, one ormore network ports for communicating with external devices as well asvarious input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse,touchscreen and/or a video display. The information handling system mayalso include one or more buses operable to transmit communicationbetween the various hardware components.

For the purposes of this disclosure, computer-readable media may includeany instrumentality or aggregation of instrumentalities that may retaindata and/or instructions for a period of time. Computer-readable mediamay include, without limitation, storage media such as a direct accessstorage device (e.g., a hard disk drive or floppy disk), a sequentialaccess storage device (e.g., a tape disk drive), compact disk, CD-ROM,DVD, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electricallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and/or flash memory; aswell as communications media such as wires, optical fibers, microwaves,radio waves, and other electromagnetic and/or optical carriers; and/orany combination of the foregoing.

FIG. 1 illustrates an information handling system 100, in accordancewith some embodiments of the present disclosure. Information handlingsystem 100 may include, for example, bay 104, memory drive 110, andpower supply 120.

Bay 104 may be configured to be placed within a rack or a chassis withone or more other bays 104. Moreover, bay 104 may be configured suchthat various components of information handling system 100 may be placedwithin bay 104. For example, in some embodiments, bay 104 may beconfigured such that one or more power supplies 120 may be placed intobay 104. For example, power supply 120 a may be placed into bay opening105 a, and power supply 120 b may be placed into bay opening 105 b. Oneway of placing components into bay 104 may be sliding them into therespective bay openings. Bay 104 may include other openings, such as bayopening 106 a and bay opening 106 b, that may be configured to receiveother components of information handling system 100. In someembodiments, for example, bay opening 106 a and bay opening 106 b may beconfigured to receive instantiations of memory drive 110.

Power supply 120 may include latch 122, electrical input 124, handle126, front vents 128, side vents 132, and backplane connector 150. Insome embodiments, latch 122 may be configured to automatically latchpower supply 120 into place when power supply 120 is placed into bay 104and to release power supply 120 from its place within bay 104 when latch122 is pressed. Handle 126 may be gripped by a user in order to placepower supply 120 into or out of bay 104.

Front vents 128 may be configured to allow air to flow in or out ofpower supply 120. Similarly, side vents 132 may be configured to allowair to flow in or out of power supply 120. As described in furtherdetail below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, power supply 120 mayinclude one or more internal fans (not expressly shown in FIG. 1). Insome embodiments, an internal fan may be configured to dissipate heatgenerated within power supply 120. For example, in some embodiments, aninternal fan may be configured to pull cool air in through front vents128 and to push hot air out through side vents 132. In otherembodiments, an internal fan may be configured to pull cool air inthrough side vents 132 and to push hot air out through front vents 128.

Power supply 120 may include backplane connector 150. When power supply120 is placed in bay 104, backplane connector 150 may connect to abackplane (not expressly shown) within bay 104 that may electricallycouple one or more components within bay 104 to each other. For example,power supply 120 may provide power to other components that may beinserted within bay 104 via the backplane. Likewise, components withinbay 104 may send or receive other electrical communication signals to orfrom other components within bay 104 via the backplane.

Although FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of bay 104 with a particularform factor and a particular depth, various embodiments of bay 104 mayinclude various form factors and various depths. For example, in someembodiments, the openings in bay 104 may be relatively deep from frontto back compared to other embodiments, and in some embodiments, theopenings in bay 104 may be relatively shallow from front to backcompared to other embodiments.

In some embodiments, bay 104 may have openings on opposing sides of bay104 configured to receive components of information handling system 100.For example, in some embodiments, components such as power supply 120may be placed into openings on one side of bay 104, and components suchas memory drive 110 may be placed into openings on an opposing side ofbay 104. In such embodiments, bay 104 may have an internal backplane inthe middle of bay 104 to which components that are placed on opposingsides of bay 104 may each connect.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 illustrate telescoping power supply 220, in accordancewith some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2 andFIG. 3, telescoping power supply 220 may have an adjustable length, andaccordingly, may be compatible with different embodiments of bay 104having different depths. Though various embodiments described withinthis disclosure include telescoping power supply 220, which may have anadjustable length, telescoping power supply 220 is just one example of acomponent within information handling system 100 that may have anadjustable length in accordance with the teachings of the presentdisclosure. Other examples of information handling system componentsthat may utilize telescoping enclosures with an adjustable length mayinclude, but are not limited to, stand-alone fan modules, controlpanels, system management modules, and/or expander modules to addressadditional hard drives.

The use of telescoping information handling system components such astelescoping power supply 220 provides several cost advantages ascompared to the use of a unique component for each different form factorrequired by different applications. For example, the research anddevelopment costs of one telescoping power supply 220 may be less thanthe research and development costs of multiple power supplies withdifferent lengths. Further, acquiring regulatory approval to sell onetelescoping power supply 220 may be less costly that acquiringregulatory approval to sell multiple power supplies with differentlengths. Moreover, using a smaller amount of components that arecompatible with multiple products rather than a larger amount ofproduct-unique components may allow a company to ship higher volumes offewer unique components, and thus simplify supply chain management andreduce supply chain costs.

FIG. 2 illustrates telescoping power supply 220 set to a shortenedlength, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.Telescoping power supply 220 may include front enclosure 230, backenclosure 240, latching button 260, latching pin 261, latching hole 262,and latching hole 263. Front enclosure 230 may be slidably coupled toback enclosure 240. In some embodiments, latching button 260 may bepressed to allow the position of front enclosure 230 relative to backenclosure 240 to be slidably adjusted. For example, latching button 260may be spring loaded and internally coupled to latching pin 261. Uponpressing latching button 260, latching pin 261 may be released fromlatching hole 262, and thus may allow the relative positions of frontenclosure 230 and back enclosure 240 to be adjusted. For example, frontenclosure 230 and back enclosure 240 may be slidably adjusted to thepositions illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 illustrates telescoping power supply 220 set to an elongatedlength. As shown in FIG. 3, the relative positions of front enclosure230 and back enclosure 240 may be adjusted until latching pin 261coincides with latching hole 263, at which point telescoping powersupply 220 may be latched into an elongated configuration. In someembodiments, a portion of either back enclosure 240 or front enclosure230 may be manufactured so that the portion may be nested within theother enclosure. For example, a portion of back enclosure 240 may bemanufactured such that the portion may be nested within the overlappingportion of front enclosure 230 when telescoping power supply 220 is setto a shortened length.

Back enclosure 240 may further include nested side vents 232. Whentelescoping power supply 220 is set to a shortened length as shown inFIG. 2, nested side vents 232 may align with side vents 132 that may beformed in front enclosure 230. When telescoping power supply 220 is setto an elongated setting as shown in FIG. 3, nested side vents 232 mayextend outside of front enclosure 230, and thus may provide furtherventing area for telescoping power supply 220. Although FIG. 2 and FIG.3 illustrate an embodiment of telescoping power supply 220 with nestedside vents 232 that align with side vents 132, the portions of frontenclosure 230 and back enclosure 240 that may overlap at varioussettings may be configured in any combination of vented, partiallyvented, or unvented sub-portions. When a vented portion overlaps with anunvented portion, the unvented portion may be referred to as obstructingthe vented portion. For example, in some embodiments, nested side vents232 may be obstructed by an unvented portion of front enclosure 230 whentelescoping power supply 220 is set to a shortened length, and may beunobstructed when telescoping power supply 220 is set to an elongatedlength. Similarly, in some embodiments, side vents 132 may be obstructedby an unvented portion of back enclosure 240 when telescoping powersupply 220 is set to a shortened length, and may be unobstructed whentelescoping power supply 220 is set to an elongated length. Accordingly,telescoping power supply 220 may be configured to have a venting profilethat remains constant across multiple potential settings, or may beconfigured to have a venting profile that varies across multiplepotential settings.

Although FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 illustrate telescoping power supply 220 withlatching button 260, latching pin 261, and latching holes 262 and 263,any suitable means of latching and/or setting the length of telescopingpower supply 220 may be employed. Moreover, telescoping power supply 220may be configured such that it can be set to any suitable number oflengths. For example, in some embodiments, telescoping power supply 220may be configured to be set to two potential lengths. In otherembodiments, telescoping power supply 220 may be configured to be set tothree or more potential lengths. For example, telescoping power supply220 may be configured to be set to an elongated length, a shortenedlength, or an intermediate length half way between the elongated lengthand the shortened length.

Moreover, in some embodiments, telescoping power supply 220 may beconfigured to automatically adjust to the depth of bay 104 as it isinserted into bay 104. For example, in embodiments of bay 104 compatiblewith a shortened telescoping power supply 220, bay 104 may include atriggering mechanism (not expressly shown) that may correspond tolatching button 260. In such an example, telescoping power supply 220may initially be set to an elongated setting. When telescoping powersupply 220 is placed inside of bay 104, the triggering mechanism insideof bay 104 may align with and press latching button 260. With latchingbutton 260 pressed, telescoping power supply 220 may automatically beadjusted to a shortened length as it is being placed inside of bay 104.In embodiments of bay 104 compatible with an elongated telescoping powersupply 220, the triggering mechanism may be omitted such thattelescoping power supply 220 may maintain an elongated length as it isbeing placed into bay 104. Though one potential mechanism is describedfor automatically setting the length of telescoping power supply 220,any suitable mechanical, electrical, or other mechanism may be employedto automatically set the length of telescoping power supply 220 before,during, or after the insertion of telescoping power supply into bay 104.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side cross-section view of telescoping power supply220, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Asshown in FIG. 4, the inside of telescoping power supply 220 may includefan 402, fan 404, service loop 410, and power converter 420. For thepurposes of the present disclosure, telescoping power supply 220 is oneexample of a telescoping component of information handling system 100.Moreover, devices and/or components within telescoping power supply 220or other telescoping components of information handling system 100 maybe referred to “components” or “sub-components.”

In some embodiments, fan 402 and fan 404 may be located in frontenclosure 230. Similar to the description above with reference to FIG.1, in some embodiments, fan 402 and fan 404 may be configured to pullcool air in through front vents 128 (illustrated in FIG. 1) and to pushhot air out through side vents 132 and nested side vents 232(illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3). Likewise, in some embodiments, fan402 and fan 404 may be configured to pull cool air in through side vents132 and nested side vents 232 and to push hot air out through frontvents 128. For the purposes of the present disclosure, front vents 128,side vents 132, and nested side vents 232 may be referred to as inletvents when they are configured to allow fan 402 and/or fan 404 to pullair inside telescoping power supply 220 in one or more of the multiplepotential length settings. Likewise, front vents 128, side vents 132,and nested side vents 232 may be referred to as outlet vents when theyare configured to allow fan 402 and/or fan 404 to push air outside oftelescoping power supply 220 in one or more of the multiple potentiallength settings.

In some embodiments, power converter 420 may be located in backenclosure 240. Power converter 420 may receive electrical power fromelectrical input 124 via service loop 410, and convert it into a formthat is usable by information handling system 100. For example, powerconverter 420 may be configured to receive a 120 voltalternating-current (“AC”) supply voltage and convert it to adirect-current (“DC”) supply voltage at any suitable voltage level foruse by information handling system 100. For such embodiments, powerconverter 420 may be referred to as an AC-to-DC converter. Likewise,power converter 420 may be configured to receive a higher-voltage DCsupply voltage and covert it to any suitable lower-voltage DC supplyvoltage that may be used by information handling system 100. For suchembodiments, power converter 420 may be referred to as a DC-to-DCconverter. Power converter 420 may be configured to convert any suitableamount of power required by information handling system 100. In someembodiments, power converter 420 may be configured to supply, forexample, 1080 watts of power. In such embodiments, telescoping powersupply 220 may be referred to as a 1080-watt power supply. Powerconverter 420 may be electrically coupled to backplane connector 150,and may thus supply a converted voltage supply to other componentswithin information handling system 100 via bay 104's backplane. Becausepower converter 420 may supply a converted voltage to other componentswithin information handling system 100, it may be referred to as a powersupply. Likewise, telescoping power supply 220, which may include powerconverter 420, may also be referred to as a power supply. Though FIG. 4illustrates an embodiment with power converter 420 located in backenclosure 240, in some embodiments, power converter 420 may be locatedin front enclosure 230 and may be coupled to back plane connector 150through service loop 410. Likewise, any sub-component in a telescopinginformation handling system component such as telescoping power supply220 may be located in any suitable position within either frontenclosure 230 or back enclosure 240.

Service loop 410 may be configured to maintain an electrical couplingbetween electrical input 124 and power converter 420 at any potentiallength setting for telescoping power supply 220. In some embodiments,service loop 410 may be placed to the side of fan 402 and fan 404 inorder to not interfere with the fan blades. Moreover, in someembodiments, service loop 410 may be coiled in order to adapt to anadjustable distance between electrical input 124, which may be locatedin front enclosure 230, and power converter 420, which may be located inback enclosure 240. As shown in FIG. 4, when telescoping power supply220 is set to a shortened setting, service loop may coil in a mannerthat adapts to a shortened distance between electrical input 124 andpower converter 420.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side cross-section view of a telescoping powersupply, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.As shown in FIG. 5, when telescoping power supply 220 is set to anelongated length, service loop 410 may have a coil that may provideextra length and thereby may adapt to an elongated distance betweenelectrical input 124 and power converter 420.

Though service loop 410 is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 as electricallycoupling power converter 420 to electrical input 124, service loop 410may include multiple electrical couplings, and may provide forelectrical coupling of any sub-component configured within backenclosure 240 to any sub-component configured within front enclosure230. For example, service loop 410 may be configured to transmit anindicator signal from power converter 420, backplane connector 150, orany other sub-component within back enclosure 240, to an indicator lightthat may be configured on the front of front enclosure 230. Likewise,service loop may be configured to transmit, for example, control signalsfrom backplane connector 150 to fan 402 and fan 404.

In some embodiments, a sub-component may include multiple elements thatmay be divided between front enclosure 230 and back enclosure 240. Forexample, in some embodiments, power converter 420 may include elementssuch as transformers, power transistors, a diodes, and/or capacitors(not expressly shown). In such embodiments, power converter 420 mayinclude, for example, a transformer (not expressly shown) that may belocated in front enclosure 230 and one or more capacitive elements (notexpressly shown) that may be located in back enclosure 240. Moreover, insuch embodiments, the elements located in front enclosure 230 may becoupled to the elements located in back enclosure 240 through serviceloop 410.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, it shouldbe understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations canbe made hereto without departing from the spirit and the scope of thedisclosure as defined by the appended claims.

1.-20. (canceled)
 21. A telescoping information handling systemcomponent, comprising: a first enclosure; a second enclosure slidablycoupled to the first enclosure along a sliding path; a latch coupled tothe first enclosure and adapted to latch the first enclosure into one ofa plurality of available selectably latchable positions relative to thesecond enclosure on the sliding path; and a service loop configured toelectrically couple a first sub-component located in the first enclosureto a second sub-component located in the second enclosure.
 22. Thetelescoping information handling system component of claim 21, furthercomprising an internal fan to pull cool air through an inlet vent and topush hot air out through an outlet vent, the inlet vent and the outletvent at least partially unobstructed in each of the selectably latchablepositions.
 23. The telescoping information handling system component ofclaim 21, further comprising a power converter coupled to the firstenclosure, the power converter to: receive alternating currentelectrical power from an electrical input via the service loop; andconvert the alternating current electrical power into direct currentelectrical power.
 24. The telescoping information handling systemcomponent of claim 21, wherein the service loop is further configured toelectrically couple the first sub-component located in the firstenclosure to a third sub-component located in the second enclosure. 25.The telescoping information handling system component of claim 21,wherein the latch includes a latching button adapted to release thelatch.
 26. The telescoping information handling system component ofclaim 25, wherein the latching button is spring-loaded.
 27. Thetelescoping information handling system component of claim 21, whereinthe second sub-component is a memory drive.
 28. An information handlingsystem comprising: a bay; and a telescoping information handling systemcomponent slidably coupled to the bay and electrically coupled to thebay, the telescoping information handling system component including: afirst enclosure; a second enclosure slidably coupled to the firstenclosure along a sliding path; a latch coupled to the first enclosureand adapted to latch the first enclosure into one of a plurality ofavailable selectably latchable positions relative to the secondenclosure on the sliding path; and a service loop configured toelectrically couple a first sub-component located in the first enclosureto a second sub-component located in the second enclosure.
 29. Theinformation handling system of claim 28, the telescoping informationhandling system component further comprising an internal fan to pullcool air through an inlet vent and to push hot air out through an outletvent, the inlet vent and the outlet vent at least partially unobstructedin each of the selectably latchable positions.
 30. The informationhandling system of claim 28, wherein the telescoping informationhandling system component further comprises a power converter coupled tothe first enclosure, the power converter to: receive alternating currentelectrical power from an electrical input via the service loop; andconvert the alternating current electrical power into direct currentelectrical power.
 31. The information handling system of claim 28,wherein the service loop is further configured to electrically couplethe first sub-component located in the first enclosure to a thirdsub-component located in the second enclosure.
 32. The informationhandling system of claim 28, wherein the latch includes a latchingbutton adapted to release the latch.
 33. The information handling systemof claim 32, wherein the latching button is spring-loaded.
 34. Theinformation handling system of claim 28, wherein the secondsub-component is a memory drive.
 35. A telescoping power supply,comprising: a first enclosure; a second enclosure slidably coupled tothe first enclosure along a sliding path; a latch coupled to the firstenclosure and adapted to latch the first enclosure into one of aplurality of available selectably latchable positions relative to thesecond enclosure on the sliding path; and a converter located in atleast one of the first enclosure and the second enclosure; and a serviceloop extending from the first enclosure to the second enclosure.
 36. Thetelescoping power supply of claim 35, further comprising an internal fanto pull cool air through an inlet vent and to push hot air out throughan outlet vent, the inlet vent and the outlet vent at least partiallyunobstructed in each of the selectably latchable positions.
 37. Thetelescoping power supply of claim 35, the converter to: receivealternating current electrical power from an electrical input via theservice loop; and convert the alternating current electrical power intodirect current electrical power.
 38. The telescoping power supply ofclaim 35, the converter to: receive direct current electrical power at afirst voltage from an electrical input via the service loop; and convertthe direct current electrical power at the first voltage into directcurrent electrical power at a second voltage, the second voltage lowerthan the first voltage.
 39. The telescoping power supply of claim 35,wherein the latch includes a latching button adapted to release thelatch.
 40. The telescoping power supply of claim 39, wherein thelatching button is spring-loaded.